Roach killer powder works on humans, too

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the toxicity of boric acid, particularly its use as a roach killer and its effects on humans. Participants explore its various applications, safety concerns, and the reliability of information presented in Wikipedia regarding its lethal dose.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that boric acid is commonly used as a roach killer and has other benign uses, such as treating fungi on human skin.
  • There is a mention of boric acid's role in controlling uranium fission in nuclear plants, raising questions about its broader applications.
  • Concerns are raised about the toxicity of boric acid, with references to Wikipedia stating that it can be lethal in doses of 5 to 20 g/kg for humans.
  • One participant speculates on the source of the lethal dose information, suggesting it may be based on extrapolations from animal studies or other toxicity data.
  • Another participant humorously suggests that extreme cases of ingestion could involve individuals in altered states of mind or suicidal intent.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express uncertainty regarding the accuracy of the Wikipedia information and the implications of the reported lethal doses. There is no consensus on the reliability of the sources or the circumstances under which the lethal dose information was derived.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in understanding the toxicity of boric acid, including potential reliance on extrapolated data and the need for further clarification on the reported lethal doses.

EnumaElish
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AFAIK, boric acid is most commonly sold as a roach killer, although apparently it has many other more benign uses. I happen to know that it works pretty well on common fungi that appear around sweaty human joints.

Wikipedia says it's used to control uranium fission in nuclear plants.

Has anyone used it as a fire repellent?

wikipedia writes: "boric acid is poisonous if taken internally or inhaled in large quantities. However, it is generally considered to be not much more toxic than table salt."

So far so good...

But then, in the same paragraph, wikipedia says: "5 to 20 g/kg has produced death in adult humans."

How exactly do they know that, any guesses?

[X-files theme playing in the background...]
 
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"But then, in the same paragraph, wikipedia says: "5 to 20 g/kg has produced death in adult humans."

well, it quite a bit of boric acid, figuring 50 to 100 kg for the weight of a person
 
Either the wiki article is mistaken and is reporting the predicted lethal dose for humans (perhaps an extrapolation from other toxicity data from lower dose poisonings, and/or from animal toxicology studies), or someone decided to commit suicide by eating a whole box of the stuff.
 
yeah---or, some one thinking in an altered state of mind---'I'll try any white powder'